Local councilman pushes for rideshare drivers to carry guns after his daughter was killed on the job

ATLANTA — There’s a push to allow rideshare drivers to have guns on them. This comes after a Lyft driver was killed on the job.

Now her dad, who is a councilman in Peachtree Corners, is pushing for change.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The last few months have been tough for Peachtree Corners City Councilman Joe Sawyer.

“I haven’t slept. I haven’t slept since November 21,” said Sawyer. “We went by the cemetery yesterday and me and my wife had a hard time.”

His daughter, 31-year-old Lauren Allen, was driving for Lyft when she was shot and killed in November. Dekalb County Police said Allen was dropping off a passenger on Cedar Croft Court when the passenger got into an argument with her boyfriend, and he fired his gun and hit Allen.

“They’re out there driving. They don’t have no protection at all, so we need to do something,” said Sawyer.

That’s why he wants to draft a proposal that allows rideshare drivers to carry a weapon.

“They got to protect themselves. If my daughter had a gun that night, she could have protected herself,” said Sawyer.

Well-known author Cedric Norris Jr. uses both Uber and Lyft when traveling for work. He doesn’t feel good about the possibility of his ride share driver having a gun.

“Between speaking engagements or going to different recruiting events for work, things like that, so I travel pretty frequently,” said Norris.

He said getting into a vehicle and seeing a weapon on the seat would be “unsettling.”

“To get into a vehicle and to be taken to the airport and see an AR-15 sitting on your driver’s front seat, it seems to be a little unsettling,” said Norris.

Neither Uber nor Lyft allow their drivers to carry a weapon while on the clock.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Doraville police officer arrested in connection to death of 16-year-old who vanished months ago
• Viral video shows man attack Cobb pretzel store employee after store runs out of cinnamon nuggets
• GA police legally seized cars without proving wrongdoing in court, failed to report to state

Channel 2′s Larry Spruill spoke to Attorney Jessica Cino with Krevolin Horst Law Firm on WSB Tonight at 11 p.m. She said if there was a state law allowing this to happen, it could override the company.

“Now, if we have a state law that says that Uber and Lyft drivers are, in fact, allowed to carry a concealed weapon, the state law will trump the company policy,” said Cino.

Cino said if this legislation is passed, both Uber and Lyft will probably push back in some form. They could have the option to not hire drivers who won’t follow their policies.

Spruill reached out to Uber and Lyft, but he’s waiting to hear back from both companies.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:

Former Uber driver charged with sexual battery of woman he took home from the hospital

©2022 Cox Media Group